Car Insurance for Married Same-Sex Couples

Historically, same sex couples in the United States didn’t enjoy the same rights as straight couples, and this extended to auto insurance. However, after the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide, it opened the door for gay couples to enjoy some of the financial advantages that were once only reserved for traditional, heterosexual couples.

One of those advantages was the ability to apply for car insurance as a married couple. Basically, when it comes to automobile insurance, the process for applying for insurance and the rates you pay are the same regardless of whether you are a member of the LGBTQ community, or if you are straight. This is important because statistics show that on average, married people are less of an insurance risk, and make fewer claims than single people.  Therefore, married couples of all types are able to benefit from lower rates.

These savings vary by company and state and are also impacted by your individual gender, age, and driving record. Moreover, maximum savings won’t cut your insurance bill in half.  Married couple insurance savings have been shown to run about 3% to 12% less than for their unmarried counterparts.

You can save even more by bundling multiple car insurance policies together. Many insurance companies offer couples substantially reduced insurance premiums if they insure multiple vehicles on the same plan. Some companies offer from 20% to 30% savings on automobile insurance premiums when you bundle.

When Buying Car Insurance Together is NOT a Good Idea

As a same sex couple, you may not receive savings when you get married or if you bundle your multiple vehicle polices under one plan. Reasons for this include:

One partner has a bad driving record with multiple at-fault claims and/or DUIs on their record.

One partner has poor credit. If your partner has a low credit score, an insurance company may consider that an increased risk factor.

You are adding a high-end or exotic vehicle – like a Bentley or a Lamborghini onto your plan. In this case, you may be better off with separate policies.

You should make sure you check quotes for a combined policy vs. separate policies before you choose how to apply for your car insurance. And, check rates between insurance companies because they use different risk factors and offer different options.

What Companies Should You Consider?

Although I don’t know enough to recommend any company over others, insurify.com posted on their blog that seven companies scored high on their support of the LGBTQ Community:

1. State Farm
2. MetLife
3. Nationwide
4. Progressive
5. Allstate
6. Esurance
7. Liberty Mutual

You can see the complete blog post by clicking here. 

Additionally, in some cases, domestic partners, married or not … gay or straight … can also obtain auto insurance savings. So it pays to check around, compare companies and make sure you are getting all the discounts you’re entitled to.

A final note: Insurance is state-regulated, but the Supreme Court case, Obergefell v. Hodges, supersedes that authority. So same-sex couples should be given every legal right to marriage that comes with it. Therefore, if you are a married same-sex couple, and you feel you are being denied your equal rights with regard to auto insurance, you should contact the Insurance Commissioner of your state.